1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a construction of a door frame in a motor vehicle, and more particularly, improvement in a door frame in a motor vehicle, including a door frame, a door glass, a glass run supported on the door frame, and a core plate connected to the glass run for reinforcing the glass run.
The glass run has an outer side portion and an inner side portion, which are in sliding contact with an outer surface and an inner surface of a side end edge of the door glass. The glass run further includes a bottom portion extending between these outer and inner side portions, for vertically slidably guiding the door glass and sealing a space formed between the door glass and the door frame.
The core plate member provides reinforcement for the glass run.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As shown in FIG. 5 for example, in order to hold a door glass 1 in a motor vehicle and guide the same in a direction of opening or closing of the door glass 1, there is a construction of a door frame having a glass run 3 being of a U-shape in cross section. The glass run 3 is in relatively sliding contact with the inner and outer surfaces of a forward or rear end edge 1A of the door glass 1 in the direction of opening or closing direction of the door glass 1, for guiding the door glass 1 in the direction of opening or closing direction thereof and sealing a space formed between the door glass 1 and the door frame 2.
The above-described construction of the door frame may guide the door glass 1 in the sealed condition and reliably prevent the door glass 1 from being pushed outwardly, i.e. away from the interior of the compartment, due to a difference in pressure between the interior and the exterior of the compartment during running of the motor veichle at high speed.
However, the above-described construction of the door frame presents such a disadvantage that a leg 2A of the door frame 2 is extended further outside of an outer side portion 3A of the glass run 3, which portion 3A is in contact with the outer surface of the door glass 1, so that the glass run is pushed in from outside, and, because of this, a difference h in stage between the outer surface of the door glass 1 and the door frame 2 becomes large.
Such a large difference in stage between the outer surface of the door glass 1 and the door frame 2 presents the disadvantage that the air resistance is increased and the so-called wind whistle is increased during running of the motor vehicle at high speed.
To obviate the above-described disadvantage, as described in West German Pat. No. 2,809,721 for example, there is proposed a construction of a door frame in a motor vehicle, wherein a slider is mounted to the forward or rear end edge of the door glass in a manner to be shifted toward the interior of the compartment, and this slider is guided by a guide integrally with the door frame and opposed to the slider and disposed inside the door glass in a manner to be slidable in the direction of opening or closing of the door glass and be restrained in the direction of the thickness of the door glass.
Furthermore, as shown in European Patent Application Laid-Open No. 0,040,588, there is proposed another construction of the door frame in a motor vehicle, wherein an intermediate support member (slider) being of a generally crank-shape is mounted to a forward or rear end edge of the door glass such that the forward end of intermediate support member is shifted into the compartment from the door glass and projected in parallel to the door glass, and the forward end of this intermediate support member is guided by the glass run in the direction of opening or closing of the door glass.
Either one of these constructions presents the disadvantage that the outer surface of the door glass is made substantially flush with the outer surface of the door frame, so that contribution may be made to the flushness of the vehicle body, however, a slider or a guide is needed, thus raising the manufacturing cost or narrowing the opening area of the door glass by the presence of the slider.
As against the above, as described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 65117/1983 (Refer to FIG. 6), there is disclosed a construction wherein an outer side portion 3A of a glass run 3 is covered by core plate member 7 for reinforcing this glass run 3 and an outer surface of the core plate member 7 is directly exposed to the outside of the vehicle body without a door frame 2 being extended outwardly of the core plate member 7.
In this case, since the member on the door frame's side is not doubly provided outwardly of the core plate member 7, the difference in stage between the door glass 1 and the door frame 2 is reduced by a value of thickness of the door frame 2 as compared with the case of FIG. 5.
However, in this cases also, relatively large difference h in stage still remains between the outer surfaces of the core plate member 7 and the door glass 1.